NICE PICK ME UP!It's good to have some people here on the thread!Your homes sound like mine, except that I have no kids out of school yet. Sigh. The one on one time is great with the kids, isn't it? During the summer various numbers of kids are gone from our home and that leaves us with more individual time with the younger ones (older ones seem to flee when you mention spending time with them).

I know what you mean about being unpopular. According to my six kids, I am either the greatest mom on earth (usually this follows ice cream or a trip to the movies), or a screaming lunatic who tries to control all their lives and needs to let them grow up. Usually, I am the latter. I get my fourth teen next week. He is strutting around like a rooster because he will be a teen. Heavy sigh...just can't wait.

Nissanmama, I'm 42. I'm glad to be 42 because it means I'm not dead yet. You are not too old!!!

What is Mercy's book? I am reading the Sooky series now, but am not overly impressed after book 3. I really need better summer reading (I read appropriate YA stuff to my kids at night, but I like adult lit that is well written, and there isn't a lot of it out there!)

Hold on OpenHome, book #4 is one of the best ones in the series. The most recent one, Dead and Gone, as well. If you're not put off by "paranormal smut," I mean romance, I've got a few more titles for you. FS is an Eagle Scout so I totally get scout camp. Glad you survived it. We're overdue on LG's Bear, but he's already working with the Webelo's and giving me grief about it. I really believe it's an excellent program so that's just tough. It was a tremendous asset to FS during the college recruiting and admissions process. I will be glad to be done with Pinewood Derby's however! Mercy's book is the latest installment of the Psy-Changling series by Nalini Singh. It's paranormal roomance/smut, but it's also an intelligent sci-fi series that's quite well written. My local B&N actually put it in the sci-fi section of the store. I believe this is book seven. Basically, earth has three species of humanoids. The plain ol' humans, the Psycological or Psy for short which have vast mental talents, and the Changlings who can change into animal form. So far the series has focused on Leopard, panthers, and wolves, large preditorry animals and their interactions with the Psy. The author has promised the next book will have more humans in it. They've also taken place in California. Since I'm originally from there, it's fun to read this alternate version of places I know so well.

BAC, NIIIIIIIIIICE pick me up! Especially for me, since this decaf coffee just doesn't do it anymore. It's summer, which means everyone is out and about, on vacations and such, so traffic has slowed down a bit on here. I check in when I get email updates, but I haven't been posting often.

N'mama- I can't wait for Harry Potter either!!!!! I did things backwards in HP land. Friends invited us to go see #4 with them. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, but the importance of Voldemort's return was completely lost on me. I knew of HP, didn't really know the story, though. I thought that I'd just see the last 3 movies when the kids were more grown up; I didn't realize it was a continuing story. So, I watched all the movies, and was a bit lost in the story. I read the books on the advice of a friend, and it all came together. She had read the books as soon as they came out; I was behind. I think I was on book 4 when 7 came out. We'd talk about the books, especially the connection between Harry and Voldemort. I'd guess and guess, and she'd say I was "this close." Great fun!! I LOVE the books. I've only read them once though. I really need to pick them up again. I'm watching the movies this weekend in preparation of going to see HBP next week. I'm glad that you are sharing this with LG.

I hope that everyone has a great rest of the summer. It's hard to believe that it's half-over with already. Well, I go by the "summer break" for school. Most of you go back in August, right? Summer hits at the end of May in my part of Texas, and it leaves around the end of September (usually). We have temps near 100* today, with the heat indexes around 105-110*, depending on the area. *sigh* It's just way too hot out there!

bac wrote:...I started rereading Twilight yesterday. I haven't reread in over a year. So I am going to read the whole series from beginning to end. I am going to take it slow and not devour the books like I did the first time (I couldn't read them fast enough). I am hoping to find new insights and just enjoy them. ... I am starting to wake up earlier and do some things in the morning for myself. Earlier is 7 am. I was letting myself sleep in until 8-9. I would like to get myself to waking up at 6 am by the time school starts. Of course that is in a month.here is a morning pick me up

bac, you are making me look like a slug! I've been waking up at 10:30 am this past week and I'm trying to wake up earlier (as in 9 am)! My family is too sweet to me and lets me sleep in.I too need to do a re-read before Twi-Con. However, I have this huge textbook that I must read for an online course, so that takes precedence unfortunately. (However, that will not prevent me from buying Mercy's book and Sookie short stories in the next day or so!)nissanmama and bac, I hear ya about kids that, if looks could kill, you'd be rotting on the floor. My youngest wrote a note like that to me once (and before I knew what the note said, I was so pleased because he was writing). Hubby had me keep the apology note he wrote afterwards, but it still reminds me of the original. And the kid is nowhere near being a teen or pre-teen!Sounds like everyone's having some neat times so far. Enjoy, enjoy!

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Duh! I totally missed the link in bac's post. Change the color so the old lady here can see it...and did she see it! Mmmm...hip dents. I'm thinking a little bit of Dorian there??

I read the series through about three times before BD came out. I haven't since. In fact, I haven't reread BD cover to cover. Just my favorite bits. Maybe I'll do that if I ever get caught up on all the series I have my nose in right now!

School starts here in 6 weeks. I know this because I'm counting. The kids think it not humorous to put little red "X's" on the calendar. I told them my friends would.

Openhome: My son KT didn't make it to boy scout camp this year because he broke his arm while doing an OA thing and the same campground. The cast comes off next Tuesday (we hope). It will be nice because I'm developing a farmers tan. Every time I think about going swimming I get the puss in boots look and don't you love me? show your support for your poor child speech. This is the kid who runs around in his boxers all day watching Twilight Zone reruns. Must be nice.

Bac: i'm glad you mentioned when the book discussion opens up because I still have to get Mercy's book. My girlfriends got me hooked on the Stephanie Plum series. I need a break, she eats so much in the books, it makes me hungry. Oh and thanks for the pick me up. Very nice.

We start school back up the third week in August...and it's kinda bittersweet for me. Yes, my kids are back in school, but since I'm a teacher I am too

Right now I am making my way through my 5th grade reading list so I can choose books I want to work with my class on. Trying to weed out the best books is awfully difficult since I tend to love all books! I don't think my 5th graders share the sentiment though...LOL Reading A Wrinkle in Time right now.

You guys make me awful nervous about the teenage years...talk about those letters scares me! I cried the first time my little one called me "mean mommy!" and he was hugging me again in like 5 minutes! Don't know what I'll do when they can articulate their feelings better and those feelings are hateful towards me!

I finished Mercy's book this morning. I can't wait to talk about it either since there is this....issue....that many have particular feelings on that I don't agree on and I am hoping that these....instances in the book point to me getting it the way I want it instead of pointing to a possible other situation that make the situation/issue go the...uhmmmm, other people's way.

I'm sure that didn't give anything away! Yay me! I can't wait for November when Dev's book comes out! Nalini is SO talented!

Please don't scare me, I am working on hubby and mine's first child. Yup, folks, I'm expecting! I'm almost 13 weeks along and due January 16th!

Glad to see you back Nima, once a gutterite, always a gutterite, and always welcome!

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Una! What wonderful news. Congratulations, and don't worry. I'm sure your child will be far less demonic than ours are. It is good to hear from you too, Spookybell!I need to get a copy of those books. it sounds wonderfully complicated. Which is the first one?